Improvement in jump-seats



Patented Dec. 5,1871.

No.'l2,563.

riTNITEn STATES PATENT FFICE.

NELSON WARREN AND THOMAS UNDERWOOD, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

IMPROVEMENT IN JUMP-SEATS.

Specification forming part of. Letters Patent No. 121,568, datedDecember 5, 1871; antedated November 18, 1871.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, NELSON WARREN and THoMAs UNDnRwooD, of Wilmington,in the 'county of New Castle and' State of Delaware,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Jmnp-Seats forVehicles; and we do hereby'declare that the following is a full andexact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing making a part of this specification.

, Our invention has for its object to provide an economical, simple, andeffective means of converting a vehicle from a single to a double-seatedone, and vice versa; and consists: First, in constructing the swingingparallel arms ofthe jump seats with a curved or angular finger whichshall come in contact at the proper time with the bearin g-plate on theunder side of the seat. Second, in the construction of thebearing-plate, secured to the under sideof the seat, so as to formpivotbearings for the arms, and a rest against which the curved orangular fingers shall impinge in one andthe same casting. rlhird, in anautomatically operating sprin g-bar under the forward seat, withdownwardly-projecting bearings, against which the fingers of theparallel arms shall rest when said seat is in position for use, the saidprojections being withdrawn from over the lingers and releasing thesame, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth. Fourth, in anauxiliary or independent support attached to the plate, upon which thelower ends of the parallel arms are pivoted, so constructed and appliedthat it will serve its purpose in either of two natural positions of theseat, as will be presently more fully explained.

To en able those skilled to more fully understand the nature of ourinvention, we will proceed to describe the construction and operation ofthe same, referring by letters to the accompanying drawing, in which-Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a frame orbody of avehicle with the two seats in position for a double-seated vehicle. Fig.2 is a side elevation, showing the seats after havin g jumped to form asin gl e-seated vehicle; and Fig. is a bottom view ofthe forward seat,showing the automatically-operating spring-bar.

Similar letters indicate like parts in the sev eral views.

A represents the frame or body of a vehicle,

and B B the rear and forward seats. G are right-angled bearing-plates,which are securedto the under side of the seats, flush with their ends,by screws or bolts passing through those portions of the plate incontact with the bottom surface of the seat. It will be seen byreference to Fig. 3 that parts of the plate are cut away for sake ofeconomy and lightness, leaving three ears, as it were-a b c-the centralone b forming a bearingplate, against which the curved or angularfingers of the parallel arms come in contact. The downwardly-proj ectingpart of these plates forms the bearing to which the arms are hinged orpivoted, as clearly seen in the drawing. The lower ends of the armssupporting the rear seat are hinged to a plate, D, in the usual manner.The arms E are all, except forward ones on rear seat, made straight,with an angular or curved finger, F, so constructed that when the armsare swung backward or forward to carry the seats to either of theirnatural positions the said lingers will bear alternately against thecentral ear b of the plates C', the rear arms of each seat forming thesupports when both seats are in use, and the forward ones when only theback seat is in use or the vehicle converted into a single-seated one.It will be seen that the weight upon the seat is borne upon one side, asit were, of an equilateral triangle. The forward arms of the rear seatare so curved that they shall form no impediment to ingress and egresswhen both seats are in use. The arms supporting the forward seat arescrewed to the plate C the same as those of the rear seat, but the lowerends, instead of being pivoted to a hinged plate, D, are pivoted to asimple flat plate, G, which is securely fastened to the inside of theame A. To the under side of the front seat is secured, by boxes H, aspringbar, I, having its ends returned, and with a downwardly-projectingbearing-face, d, either end of said rod or bar having handles e c, bywhich it is readily operated. This bar is made in two sections. Theinner ends of each are halved to lap, and provided with two or morerivet-holes, the object being to accommodate the bar to seats ofdifferent lengths. One-half of said bar is rounded from a point justbehind the handle e to receive a spiral spring, f, which spring isconiined between the shoulder back of handle e and the box H 5 the baris prevented from being thrown too far by the spring by a shoulderbearing against the ear b ot' the plate C. It will be seen that the barcan be readily operated from either end ofthe seat. The bearings rl havea slight depression on their face, which assists in providing fortheproper adjustment of said bearing and the curved n'ngers F. 011 theplate (i is pi\'oted a hloek. J, having a knob or handle, by whit-h itis swung upon its center Said bloek is held in proper position to form asupporting-shouldertothe front or rear arms F, alternately, h v the pinslf. This block J is an excellent auxiliar to the supporting-arms E; orin some instanees it ma)y he made to serve individually a s the onliYand a good support; or it may be entirel)v dispensed with.

The opera-tion of our improvement is as follows: Assuming the vehicle tobe a doubleseated one, as seen at Fig. 1, and desiring to een vert itinto a single-seated Vehicle, the front seat is slightlbv raised, andeither one of the handles eis grasped and pushed in the direetionreverse to that exerted by the spiral springf, thus foreing both thebearings f1 oli" the curved fingers F, one to outside and the other toinside of said fingers. The seat is then dropped baekwardly until thecurved fingers of the rear arms rest against the bearing-ear or plate b,which will leave the forward seat in the position as seen at Fig. 2. Theback seat is made to cover the same and assume the position seen in saidFig. 2 hy simplyswinging it upon its parallel arms until the eurvedtingers ofthe front arms shall strike and rest against the same ear orplate I), which the fingers of the rear arin rested against when theseat was back. To carry the seats back to the positions seen at Fig. 1the rear seat is simplY swung` baek until it tindsa support on theforward arms, and the front seat is then swung forward, and the momentit has arrived at the proper point the springbar l forces itself backtoits normal position, thus bringing its downwardly-proieeting hearingsdinnnediately over the fingers F of the rear armsrE, the twoassuming'their relative proper po iion as soon as the seat is released.It will be here observed that even if the seat is carried too farforward in dropping back it cannot go too far but must strike thebearings (l ofthe spring-bar l. When the seat is thrown to its furthestextent forward the fingers of the forward arms rest against the ears ljust behind the returned ends ofthe bar I, in a similar manner to therear seat when thrown torward. The auxiliary and independent supportneeds no further deseription,and its operation is evident.

Having described the construction and operation of our improvements injump-seats, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. The parallel swinging arms E, with fingers F, in combination with thebearing-plate or ear of the plate (l, as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. The bearing-plate C, forming pivot-bearings for the arms E and a restfor the ingers F of said arms, when constructed substantiall' as hereinshown and described.

3. The aiitotnatically-operating spring bar l, eonstrueted and operatingsubstantiall)v in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

4. The swinging bleek J, constructed as shown and deseribed, and pivotedto plate (l, in combination with the supporting-pins It' k, either as anauxiliarv or independent means ot' supporting the seat, as hereinbetbreset forth.

Witness our hands and seals to the fore, ;'oin;l speeitieation this 21stday of April. A. l). 1871.

NELsoN WARREN. 1.. si THos. UNDERWooD. (L. s.;

Witnesses:

E. B. FRAZER, JAMns (l. STOCK. (3l)

